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Fields and Record Run Highlight 19th Mayor’s Cup Cross Country
Races
Mary
Cullen, Jacob Korir triumphant in championship
races
BOSTON,
MA – A record field of more than 1,000 entrants
and a course-record run by Mary Cullen (IRL / Providence, RI)
highlighted the 19th edition of the Mayor’s Cup Cross Country Races, presented by the Boston Athletic Association and adidas,
and directed by USATF-New England and the Boston Centers for Youth &
Families.
Overnight
rains didn’t discourage anyone from making the trip to Boston’s Franklin Park,
site of the 1992 World Cross Country Championships. As more than 300 kids, ages
14 and under, took part in the morning slate of youth races, the rain and clouds
gave way to sunny, blue skies.
Next
on the schedule was the Franklin Park 5K, open
to men and women of all ages and ability levels. The fastest-growing of the
Mayor’s Cup events, the Franklin Park 5K
boasted 280 finishers this year, up from 187 a year ago. Leading the charge was
Jordan Hamm, a senior from Canisius
High School in Buffalo, NY. Hamm
trailed Omar Aden and Ahmed Ali–high school teammates from Charlestown, MA–through a 5:00 opening mile. By two miles,
passed in 10:19, the threesome had broken away from the rest of the field.
Hamm then used the final mile to pull into the
lead, holding on for a 2-second victory over Aden. Brandeis grad Caitlin Malloy recorded a
comfortable 37-second victory in the women’s division.
In
the Women’s Championship 5K, two-time defending champ Aziza Ayilu (ETH /
Westchester, NY) of the Westchester Track Club was looking to become the first
woman to win three straight Mayor’s Cup titles. Yet despite running faster than
she had in either of her victories, Ayilu found herself chasing former
Providence College star Mary Cullen (IRL / Providence, RI) from the gun. Cullen, the runner-up here
in 2005, led the pack through one mile in a brisk 5:07, and by two miles she was
alone in front. By the time she broke the finish tape in 16:08, Cullen wasn’t
just 28 seconds ahead of runner-up Ayilu, she was also 14 seconds under the meet
and course record set by Kathy Franey in 1997. Cullen is preparing for the
European Cross Country Championships in Belgium, where she will represent her native
Ireland.
In
the Men’s Championship 8K a large pack, which included 2006 champ Stephen
Chemlany (KEN / Westchester, NY), passed through one mile in 4:35 and two miles
in 9:35. By four miles, reached in 19:35, Jacob Korir (KEN / Richmond, KY) had emerged at the front, and shortly
after that he surged away from Sean Burris, Ben Rosario, and the rest of the
lead group. Korir, a three-time NCAA All-American during his recently-completed
senior year at Eastern Kentucky University (sixth in cross country in 2007 and
third at 5,000m and fourth at 10,000m in 2008), was unopposed over the closing
mile of the race, breaking the tape in 23:54, 10 seconds ahead of runner-up
Burris.
The
Westchester Track Club and New Balance Boston captured the men’s and women’s
team titles, respectively.
2008
Mayor’s Cup Champions:
10-and-under
1.1-mile
Boys:
Jeremy Taylor (Waltham TC)
6:56
Girls:
Leah Brams (Waltham TC)
7:18
11-12
1.1-mile
Boys:
Jeremy Alley-Tarter (Nitehawks SC)
6:11
Girls:
Julia Kern (Waltham TC)
6:37
13-14
1.1-mile
Boys:
Daniel Ewart (Granite State Flash)
5:44
Girls:
Robin Gross (Waltham TC)
6:30
Franklin
Park
5K
Men:
Jordan Hamm
15:57
Women:
Caitlin Malloy
19:09
Women’s
Championship 5K
Mary
Cullen (Reebok)
16:08 (Course Record*)
*Old
course record: 16:22, Kathy Franey (1997)
Men’s
Championship 8K
Jacob
Korir (RIADHA)
23:54
Complete
results are available here:
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/08/ma/Oct26_19thAn_set1.shtml
Past
Mayor’s Cup Champions
Year Men
Women
2008 Jacob Korir (RIADHA)
Mary Cullen (Reebok)
2007 Girma Tola (Westchester
TC)
Aziza Ayilu (Westchester
TC)
2006 Stephen Chemlany (Westchester
TC)
Aziza Ayilu
(Westchester TC)
2005 Jarrod Shoemaker
(B.A.A.)
Kim Smith (Reebok)
2004 Mark Carroll (adidas)
Atalelech Keteme (Westchester TC)
2003 Keith Kelly (New
Balance)
Kate O’Neill (Nike)
2002 Keith Kelly (New
Balance)
Kristin Chisum (New Balance)
2001 Sandu Rebencuic
(U.S. Army)
Priscilla Hein (Indiana Invaders)
2000 Francis Kirwa (Life University)
Sarah Dupre (B.A.A.)
1999 Sammy Nyamongo (Life University)
Christine Junkermann (adidas)
1998 Francis Kirwa (Life University)
Lesley Lehane (B.A.A.)
1997 Silah Misoi (Life University)
Kathy Franey (Nike International)
1996 Silah Misoi (Life University)
Kate Fonshell (ASICS)
1995 Seamus McElligott
(ASICS)
Lynn Jennings (Nike
International)
1994 Abidi Bouazza (Westchester TC)
Lynn Jennings (Nike International)
1993 Brad Schlapak (NYAC)
Carmen Troncoso (Nike Texas)
1992 Brad Schlapak (NYAC)
Kathy Franey (Reebok Racing)
1991 Andy Ball (Nike Running
Room)
Gwyn Coogan (Nike Boston)
1990 Michael Baugh (HFC
Striders)
Michelle DiMuro (Reebok Racing)
Past
Mayor’s Cup Team Champions
Year Men
Women
2008 Westchester Track Club
New Balance Boston
2007 Boston Athletic Association
RIADHA/Shoes 4 Africa
2006 Westchester Track Club
Westchester Track
Club
2005 Boston Athletic Association
Westchester Track
Club
2004 Boston Athletic Association
Boston
Athletic Association
2003 Boston Athletic Association
Boston
Athletic Association
2002 Bryn Mawr Running Club
Boston
Athletic Association
2001 Boston Athletic Association
Indiana
Invaders
2000 Reebok Boston
Boston
Athletic Association
1999 Life University
Syracuse
Chargers
1998 Reebok Enclave
Boston
Athletic Association
1997 New Balance
ASICS Club East
1996 New Balance
Boston
Running Club
1995 Life University
Boston
Running Club
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